The Christchurch League of Friends has funded a £6,000 Motomed bike for the hospital’s Physiotherapy Department.
The Motomed bike is designed for use by patients who have lost strength in their muscles owing to conditions such as Parkinson’s, multiple sclerosis, paraplegia, tetraplegia, and a range of other neurological diseases as well as people who have suffered a stroke.
The frame of the Motomed bike allows wheelchair users to get close to the pedals, while the bike sports three different programmes to allow cyclists to work at their own pace.
Laura Tucker, Senior Nuero Physiotherapist at Christchurch Hospital, said: “We are delighted with the new bike. It has been brilliant of the League of Friends to fund this for our patients and help us deliver a high-quality level of care.”
The new Motomed bike differs from other exercise bikes because it sports three different modes. The first mode will set the bike to work gently by itself, moving patients’ muscles for them, the second is a compromise between assisted cycling and manpower and the third mode is totally manual.
Laura said: “The feedback from patients so far has been great. The Motomed gives them a real confidence boost because the detailed settings allow them to see their progress clearly.
“The bike is very sensitive; it can measure the strength patients are pushing with in their left arm or leg or right arm or leg. That function is really useful for stroke patients where the muscles are usually affected on a particular side of the body.”
Joan Pounds, Chairperson for the Christchurch League of Friends for over 22 years, added: “It’s an excellent piece of kit for £6,000. We know many patients who are using it have not been on a bike for years so it’s empowering for them to use the Motomed and fun too.”
